bashar al-assad is a key link. efforts to support moderate forces opposing him within syria should be considered now and considered seriously. i have recently called for a more robust u.s. response to the crisis in syria. i believe that a political transition to a government that reflects the will of the syrian people is also in the core security interest of united states and the region. moreover, this change would align with our values of supporting the democratic process and the basic rights and freedom that should be enjoyed by all people, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender. over the course of the past 20 months, the aside regime has unleashed a barrage of unspeakable -- assad regime has unleashed a barrage of unspeakable terror across the country. more than 40,000 syrians have been killed, countless have been injured. refugees have surged into neighboring turkey, jordan, lebanon, and iraq, taxing the limits of those countries. assad's escalation of violence has reached a point where fighter jets have